Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

ZTE cleans up its act: Plans to use Google’s version of Android in its phones

By

zte chooses google now launcher future android smartphones geek
Image used with permission by copyright holder
ZTE has some made a surprising news announcement. It’s to release a smartphone which uses the Google Now Launcher instead of its own custom user interface, which will give the device a Nexus-style look. What’s more, ZTE will be doing the same thing on any future Android 4.4 devices too. ZTE has previously used its own MiFavor user interface in an attempt to stand out, and ironically, by abandoning it, ZTE stands out a little more. It joins a very select few manufacturers – such as Motorola – not using a custom UI over the top of Android.

In addition to the cleaner, simpler, and faster interface, the launcher adds Google Now as a home screen, accessible with a swipe, and lets users use voice commands to control their device. ZTE will also add in its own voice command feature, which has a wider range of functions, specific to the device, to try out.

Recommended Videos

The company will announce the first phone with the Google Now Launcher installed at an event on July 24. It’s called the Blade Vec 4G, and comes with a Snapdragon 400 processor, Android 4.4 KitKat, and of course, 4G LTE connectivity. On the same day, ZTE will reveal a second, premium device also running Google’s launcher.

Google recently made the Google Now Launcher available through the Google Play store, where it can be installed on selected Android phones, so even if you don’t own a Nexus of Google Play Edition smartphone,  there is a chance you can experience the joy that is stock Android. ZTE’s decision to use the same interface should be welcomed, and could make its devices more popular, particularly as in the past it’s the software which has let the brand down.

We’ll find out all the details on the Blade Vec 4G, and get our first look at the other new phone, on July 24. ZTE’s press release states the new stock Android phones will launch in Europe, China and Hong Kong, but doesn’t mention the U.S. at this stage.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Andy Boxall
Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone
AT&T Storefront with logo.

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Read more
Motorola is selling unlocked smartphones for just $150 today
Someone holding the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024).

Have you been looking for phone deals but don’t want to spend a ton of money on flagship devices from Apple and Samsung? Have you ever considered investing in an unlocked Motorola? For a limited time, the company is offering a $100 markdown on the Motorola Moto G 5G. It can be yours for just $150, and your days and nights of phone-shopping will finally be over!

Why you should buy the Motorola Moto G 5G
Powered by the Snapdragon 480+ 5G CPU and 4GB of RAM, the Moto G delivers exceptional performance across the board. From UI navigation to apps, games, and camera functions, you can expect fast load times, next to no buffering, and smooth animations. You’ll also get up to 128GB of internal storage that you’ll be able to use for photos, videos, music, and any other mobile content you can store locally. 

Read more
The Nokia 3210 is the worst phone I’ve used in 2024
A person holding the Nokia 3210, showing the screen.

Where do I even start with the Nokia 3210? Not the original, which was one of the coolest phones to own back in a time when Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace wasn’t even a thing, but the latest 2024 reissue that has come along to save us all from digital overload, the horror of social media, and the endless distraction that is the modern smartphone.

Except behind this facade of marketing-friendly do-goodery hides a weapon of torture, a device so foul that I’d rather sit through multiple showings of Jar Jar Binks and the gang hopelessly trying to bring back the magic of A New Hope than use it.
The Nokia 3210 really is that bad

Read more